


Of Cats on Rooftops, Kitchen Disasters, and Bathroom Conferences

by betamax524



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: (actually just one cat), Attempt at Humor, Cats, Ensemble Cast, Fluff, Gen, M/M, vaguely inspired by "Friends" and my own experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-02 21:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5263670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betamax524/pseuds/betamax524
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life in the Genosha apartment complex can be a little... different, but for Charles it's as good as home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Cats on Rooftops, Kitchen Disasters, and Bathroom Conferences

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cheezybananaz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheezybananaz/gifts).
  * Translation into 中文 available: [屋顶上的猫，厨房危机，以及浴室座谈会](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10795314) by [its_Vian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_Vian/pseuds/its_Vian)



> **prompt:** Charles spontaneously decides to room with a bunch of strangers, and now he has to learn everyone's weird quirks and habits, as well as dealing with the apartment next door!  
>  \--  
> i hope you enjoy! :D

"What kind of an ice cream flavor is  _3AM Existential Crisis_? Why do you even have a mini-fridge in your room?" Charles said, and Erik turned around to find him leaning over the bed, wrapped in a blanket and looking through said mini-fridge.

"I'll have you know that's my favorite ice cream flavor, and I worked my ass off for that mini-fridge," Erik grumbled, fussing over his hair. "Anything you put in the kitchen fridge is free game over here."

"You make this sound like some college fraternity," Charles teased, gently coming up from the bed to wrap his arms around Erik's waist. He then tiptoed slightly and started softly kissing Erik's jawline, only for Erik to chuckle and gently elbow him in the ribs.

"I already took a shower," he said, kissing Charles on the forehead, "And a riot will start if I don't get breakfast ready, so maybe you could get cleaned up as well."

"But I don't have my soap with me," Charles replied with a pout.

"You can borrow Emma's-just don't let her know." Erik said, handing Charles a clean towel, and Charles couldn't help but laugh, light and clear.

* * *

Six months ago, Charles was standing at the front steps of the Genosha Complex, bags at his feet and cane in his left hand, fresh from being kicked out of the Xavier estate. Raven immediately volunteered to handle the paperwork needed for him to move in with her, and that meant a lot, considering how Raven couldn't even be bothered to do her homework most of the time. The Genosha Complex was gaining buzz for being primarily mutant-oriented and easy on the budget. Skimming over their website, Charles was pleased to note that most of the staff were mutants of various kinds, and it took a great weight off his chest to see that they were vehemently against the use of psionic suppressants. (He'd been forced to take them for a time, and it was such an uncomfortable experience that he would never wish on anyone.)

Charles took a deep breath, then rang the doorbell. A tall, dark-skinned woman with with a white mohawk opened the door, smiling. "Hello there, my name's Ororo Munroe. You must be Charles Xavier, correct?"

"Ah yes, that would be me," he replied, extending a hand. Ororo shook his hand, and immediately moved to get his bags.

"Let's get these to your room first before the tour," she said confidently, and Charles nodded, glad that he wouldn't have to carry his bags himself. They got on the elevator, Ororo easily pressing the button for their destination with her elbow. "We make sure our elevators are always reliable, and we have ramps as well for easier access, as well as for emergencies," she explained. The elevator stopped, and when the doors opened, there was a tall man in a black turtleneck standing on the opposite side.

"Ah, Erik!" Ororo said, "If it's not too much of a hassle, could you just help me bring these bags to 1704?" The man nodded, and with a snap of his fingers, Charles watched as his bags levitated a few inches off the ground.

"Telekinesis?" Charles asked, not being able to hold back his curiousity.

"Not actually," the man said, shrugging. "Manipulation of electromagnetic fields. It's a little tricky to explain."

"It's marvelous all the same," Charles said, beaming.

* * *

Charles got himself settled into the bathtub, enjoying the warm water and how it helped with the aches in his shoulders and legs. The bathroom in Erik's apartment was interesting because you could easily tell which toiletries belonged to whom. Emma's were all white, and most likely expensive, while Erik's were kept in containers that had metal in them somehow. Janos' smelled like vanilla, and Azazel's were, surprisingly enough, very floral and indulgent.

He was beginning to nod off again when suddenly, the smell of smoke filled the bathroom. Charles let out an undignified shriek when the smoke cleared and he saw Azazel standing by the sink and looking very confused. "A  _warning_  would be nice!" he huffed, sinking deeper into his bubble bath.

"Terribly sorry to interrupt your bath," Azazel said, "I seem to have... miscalculated where I wanted to end up. I was quite sure I would be in the kitchen by now." Before Charles could make him explain, the door opened and Erik walked in.

"This shit  _again_ , Az?" Erik asked, "What is it with you and randomly teleporting into bathrooms?"

"Before this interrogation, could we please shut the door-" Charles said, just as Emma managed to slip into the bathroom as well. "Oh for the love of-"

"I didn't know we held meetings in here now," Emma said, placing her hands on her hips. "Hold on, Charles, are those  _my_  bath salts?"

"Am I the only one who feels like this is a serious breach of privacy?" Charles continues, ignoring Emma's gaze.

"The bubbles are doing a valiant job of obscuring the view, Charles, do not worry," Azazel said, covering his eyes with his hands. "My hands are also quite helpful, as you can see."

"How the fuck can bubbles be valiant? They're  _bubbles_!" Erik said, irritated, which made Emma snort.

"Okay, but why are you in here again?" Emma said, "I can understand Erik being here, because, you know,"

"I just wanted to take a bath! Will everyone just  _please_  leave!" Charles said, sinking even deeper into the bath and running his hands through his hair. "The three of you can take this conversation outside so I can-"

"You know I can hear the noise from outside the door," Janos said suddenly, poking his head through the crack of the door. Frustratingly enough, nobody but Charles seemed to notice how odd this was.

"Like I said, this conversation would be better outside-" Charles started, but then Erik opened the door wider and started to peek at the paper bags Janos was carrying.

"Janos, did you get eggs?" Erik asked.

"Eggs and milk," Janos answered, smiling widely. "I also found that brand of butter that you love so much."

" _Bloody hell,_ " Charles whispered to himself, and not-so-subtly sent the telepathic suggestion that they should all take their conversation to the kitchen. Janos and Azazel were the first to leave, followed by Emma, but Erik was still standing there. Right. Increased resistance to telepathy or some shit. "Erik, I'm trying to take a bath like you said. Please leave."

"I just realized that with your powers you'd never have to wait in line again-" Erik said, the corner of his mouth quirking up.

"Erik! Please just  _leave_ ," Charles huffed, shooing him away. Erik just laughed and shook and head as he walked out the door. "You could lock it!" Charles yelled afterwards, and waited until the lock sounded with a click before he sighed and went back to relaxing in his bath. He was already quite comfortable when he heard a soft knock at the door.

"Magneto's looking for you," Erik said, voice muffled by the door, "And  _yes_ , I already told him you're taking a bath."

"All right, all right," Charles sighed, "Let him in." The door unlocked, and Magneto came inside, running quickly to the bathtub. "You're the only cat I know that actually likes being around water, you know," Charles said, watching Magneto get up on his hind legs to play with the bubbles in the tub. "Tell you what," he continued, "I'm almost done taking a bath, so how about I give you one after I dress up?" Magneto mewed in agreement, butting his head playfully against Charles' arm.

* * *

It was three months ago when Charles woke up to the sound of loud yowling, with some scratching as well. He groaned, turned around, and tried to block out the sounds with his pillow.

The yowling got even louder, so Charles shook his head to wake himself up, and gingerly made his way to the doors of the apartment that lead to the balcony, and was welcomed by the sight of a small crowd huddled together, looking up. "What's-What's going on here?" Charles said with a yawn, squeezing himself into place beside Raven.

"There's this cat on the roof and it can't seem to get down," Raven whispered, and sure enough, when Charles looked up, there was a grey cat perched precariously on the roof. Azazel was there as well, trying in vain to get the cat to come closer.

"The cat does not want to be rescued by me," he sighed, looking down at the small crowd. "What are we to do now?"

Emma rolled her eyes and said, "You're probably scaring it. I'm going to get Erik." and with that, she walked back into their apartment and came out a few minutes later with a half-awake and very grouchy Erik by her side.

"Get down here, Az," Erik grumbled, "I'll take care of this." Azazel beamed, then teleported himself into an empty space among the crowd. Erik sighed, rubbing his eyes, then he leaned slightly over the railings. With a wave of his hand, metal poles from the railings gently floated into the air, and were positioned like stair steps before being flattened, and becoming an actual staircase.

"You're going to put those back, right?" Emma said, but Erik simply grunted in response. Making his way up his improvised staircase, he walked slowly, making soft clicking sounds with his mouth.

"Hey now, come here," he cooed softly, "I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Is he... Is he actually talking to the cat like that?" Charles whispered in both amazement and confusion.

"Erik has a soft spot for anything under four feet tall, I think," Raven whispered back, "It's hard to believe but, it's actually true..." They watched as the cat slowly made its way towards Erik, and jumped into his arms.

"Good boy," Erik murmured, scratching behind the cat's ears, "Let's get you some food, okay?"

"I'm assuming you're keeping that cat?" Emma asked, "Because I don't want grey fur anywhere near me, understand?" Erik simply stuck his tongue out in response, and the cat apparently meowed in agreement.

* * *

"Did you  _really_  give him a bath?" Erik asked, the moment Charles stepped into the kitchen. "You know he's a short hair and they don't really need baths."

"Well, he wanted one," Charles answered, letting Magneto jump down onto the floor. "Anyways, he was looking for you." Magneto immediately started rubbing against Erik's legs and purring.

"You two have only been dating for a month, and you already have a kid," Emma teased, stirring her cup of coffee.

"More like  _kids_ ," Janos interjected, "Don't you see how excited the kids downstairs get when those two come to visit?"

"Oh my God, you two are probably going to get married and adopt all these kids, aren't you?" Emma said, snickering, "Remember Erik,  _I'm_  the best man at your wedding, no matter what anyone says."

"You do know that would make you the first choice for a babysitter," Charles said cheekily, "Can you imagine?"

"Excuse me, I already babysit Magneto for you," Emma replied.

"The two of you existing in the same room does not count as babysitting," Erik piped up, head in the refrigerator. "Don't you remember the last time?"

* * *

"Are you  _sure_  it's okay?" Erik asked, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed.

"It's going to be  _fine_ ," Emma said, "Magneto and I are going to stay up late watching reruns of America's Next Top Model, while you and your boyfriend eat small servings of food that come on big plates."

"But-"

"Erik, just relax," Emma said, "What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

"That was one time," Emma said, crossing her arms defensively, and Erik snorted.

"We found you with eyeliner running down your cheeks, Magneto on top of the television, and fruits all over the carpet. How do you explain that?" Erik replied smugly.

"I'm not even going to glorify that with an answer because I know you'll use it against me," Emma said, raising her arms in defeat, as Erik began laughing loudly.

"Listen, I'd love to stay for breakfast, but I promised Raven I'd indulge her latest kitchen experiment," Charles said, leaning up to kiss Erik on the cheek. "Could you be a dear and get my cane, please?" Erik hummed in reply and tilted his head slightly, and Charles' cane came gently floating beside him.

"We are still going to watch movies later, yes?" Azazel asked, peeking out from over the couch. "Do remind Sean to bring the drinks."

"I will, I will," Charles called out as he walked through the door.

"Wow, and I thought you weren't going to make it," Raven said, leaning across the door frame of their apartment door. "C'mon, you  _have_  to try this," she added, dragging Charles into their apartment.

"I am both excited yet absolutely terrified," Charles said, lovingly rolling his eyes. "Do you remember the first kitchen experiment you had me sample?"

"Don't even get me started," Raven said, playfully punching Charles in the arm.

* * *

" _What_  happened here," Charles said flatly, staring at the big mess in the kitchen. There were... pink marks on the walls, a bunch of strawberries and raspberries scattered around, and a glum Raven sitting by the counter with cream on her nose.

* * *

"Hey, these actually taste good!" came Sean's voice from the kitchen. "Really nice, Ray,  _never_  expected it!"

"It don't know if you're complimenting me or stealthily insulting me," Raven replied, sticking her tongue out at Sean who gave her a goofy grin in return. "But, I'll take what I can get. Here, try some," she added, shoving a mug into Charles' direction.

"What is this, exactly?" Charles asked, peering into the mug.

"It's some sort of no-bake cheesecake," Angel replied, "Whatever it is, it's really good."

"It's amazing what can change in half a year," Charles mused absentmindedly, taking a bite of the cheesecake. "Raven's gone from breaking blenders to actually cooking something decent."

"Unlike you," Raven teased, "But then again you've gone from pining all day to spending the night," she added, playfully messing up Charles' hair.

"By the way Sean, Azazel wanted to remind you about the drinks for move night later," Charles said, and Sean enthusiastically gave a thumbs-up while chewing. "Do you think we should drop by Bobby's and get some ice cream?"

"That would be good," Angel agreed enthusiastically, "I'll come down with you after we finish eating, how about that?" Charles nodded, mouth full of cheesecake.

* * *

"You need to  _relax_ ," Raven chided him over the phone, "You survived your thesis deliberation, you'll survive moving in with me! Genosha is wonderful."

"I know that, I just... I just... I guess I'm still not over the fact that I got kicked out, you know?" Charles replied, running a hand through his hair. "It just feels weird, since I was planning to get up and leave anyways, but then Kurt just goes and pulls one over me."

"I know," Raven said softly. "But please just trust me this once, Charles. You'll  _really_  love it here."

* * *

"What's with you?" Raven whispered, gently bumping into Charles. "Reminiscencing again?"

"I guess you could say that," Charles replied softly, placing an arm around Raven's shoulders. "Turns out I'm really starting to love it here."

"You're such a  _sap_ ," Raven chided, pressing closer to Charles.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Love Story for the New Age](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8018227) by [Clocks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clocks/pseuds/Clocks)




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